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420 Market Ave. North
Canton, Ohio 44702
(330) 489-3231
(330) 489-3335 (fax)
Info@cantonhealth.org
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WHERE IS LEAD FOUND IN THE ENVIRONMENT?
Lead has been used for many
centuries by man in many products and processes. Once lead is in the
environment, it does not break down; it remains lead. Much of the lead our
children are exposed to today comes from the wide spread use of lead in
gasoline. Lead was added to gasoline as an anti-knock compound and it worked
very well. The lead added to gasoline did not burn away in the engine. Small
lead particles were spewed out of the tailpipe and spread by the wind. In 1973
lead was banned from gasoline, but much of this lead is still with us. It is
found in soil near roadways and in our yards.
Another source of environmental lead is lead based paint, which was applied to
millions of homes throughout the country from the 1700's to 1978, the year lead
was banned from paint. Lead based paint was durable and had the characteristic
to look “new” for many years. Lead based paint made from the late 1800's through
the 1940's could have contained as much as 50% lead. During the 1950's and 60's
paint companies lowered the amount of lead added to paint. After World War II,
other additives such as titanium dioxide, increased the durability of paint and
lead content was reduced. Lead paint was made with linseed oil, coloring
pigment, and lead. The lead was processed into a fine white powder (white lead)
and added to paint. Much of the lead based paint scraped, weathered or otherwise
deteriorated from the exterior of homes ended up within several feet of the
home’s foundation, in the flowerbeds and bare soil areas in the yard. These
locations are a potential source of lead for young children.
In a typical home built before 1960, lead
based paint was applied to many window components such as troughs, jambs, sashes
and sills of original double hung windows. Entrance doors, door jambs and door
thresholds, as well as most porch surfaces such as floors, ceilings, columns,
and banisters can have many coats of leaded paint. Exterior trim of doors,
windows and house walls were favorite places to apply lead based paint, as well
as eaves. Inside the home, lead based paint was used on window sills,
baseboards, kitchen and bathroom walls and trim components. The key to
knowing if your home may have leaded paint applied to it, is to know how old
your home is. To find out how old your home is check the County Auditor’s
web site. If your home was built before 1960, it may have lead based paint. If
it was built earlier than 1940, it very likely has leaded paint. For Stark
County residents, the County Auditor’s web site is
www.auditor.co.stark.oh.us/AUDSearch.asp.
Lead is also found in a variety of products
and is used in some hobby/craft activities, such as hunting, fishing, ceramics,
stained glass and other hobbies where soldering is done. Car parts such as
radiators, batteries and tire weights contain lead. In vehicle restoration, lead
may be used to make repairs to rusted/damaged panels. Other places where lead
may be found are:
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Imported vinyl mini blinds
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Costume jewelry
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Metal “dog tags” purchased from vending machines
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Drapery weights used to keep curtains straight
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Antique jewelry
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Antique toy cars and soldiers
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Metal alloys such as brass and pewter
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Car/house keys
Lead can be a part of industrial processes. You may want to check with your
employer to find out if you work with lead and what precautions you need to take
to protect yourself. If you work with lead, or use it in a hobby, you should
check with your doctor about getting a blood test to know if you have lead
poisoning. For an adult the threshold level of lead in the blood stream is
40ug.dL (micrograms lead per deciliter of blood), at or above which, action
should be taken to
reduce the lead level and find the source. For more information, you can contact The
Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance Program, (ABLES) at (614)
455-4183, or find them on the Internet at
www.cdc.gov/niosh/ables.html.
The Internet is an excellent
resource for information about lead poisoning and lead poisoning prevention. The
Ohio Department of Health web site at
www.odh.state.oh.us/odh_home.html, offers information about childhood lead
poisoning which includes Ohio statistics, rules, laws, and contact persons at
the Ohio Department of Health. Your local library and your local health
department can be valuable resources for a variety of health issues including
lead poisoning/lead poisoning prevention.
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Canton City
Health Department
